Mike Zimmer on eye issues: 'One eye or two, I'll be back' coaching Vikings
He's targeting a return in early June
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1 min read
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer isn't able to do his job right now due to an ongoing eye issue that's plagued him since last fall. As Zimmer revealed last week, he's had eight eye surgeries in the past year.
But on Friday, Zimmer made it clear that he's not planning on stepping away from the game altogether. He vowed to return to the team, even if he loses vision in his eye.
"One eye or two, I'll be back," Zimmer said, per ESPN.
"I don't want to go blind in this eye," he added. "If that's what it is, that's what it is. This will not keep me from coaching."
When will that return happen? Zimmer told reporters that he has a doctors appointment on June 5, which is when he'll look to be cleared to return to action. According to ESPN's Ben Goessling, Zimmer is currently recovering at his Kentucky ranch and he's unable to fly because of the air pressure. So, he'll be forced to drive from Kentucky to Minnesota for his appointment.
Zimmer's eye issues began in the fall, when he had surgery to repair a torn retina in early November. He ended up having another procedure to fix a detached retina on Nov. 30, which forced him to miss one game. He made his return to the sidelines with an eye patch.
He didn't miss another game, but his eye issues persisted. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Zimmer revealed that he had two additional surgeries in April. His latest surgery involved inserting what Zimmer called "a gas bubble" into his eye.
And he isn't sure if his eighth operation will be his final one.
"I thought that before," he said. "We'll see."
